By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. ~Benjamin Franklin
Earlier this week, I posted a video about preparing for the worst. Sure, it was in the context of a particularly long day at beginning of our vacation. Sure, we did some re-routing of our RV trip, sweated ALOT more than intended and then pulled ourselves up and made a new plan. Being seasoned travelers, we are fairly practiced in the art of Plan A, Plan B, Plan C….
It’s not much different for you running your own business – or it shouldn’t be. Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. It is easy to let a bad week, a crappy client, a failed product to put you in a funk. It is tempting to view your business as just needing a little more time, that it will all work out (even as you are draining your savings and living on credit cards). It is easy to move between Negative Nelly and Mary Sunshine like you have a split personality.
Time to get off the roller coaster.
By preparing for the worst (relatively speaking, of course), you can avoid wallowing for longer than necessary. Your results become part of the spectrum of what might happen. You are neither Nelly or Mary. You are practically optimistic and well-prepared. You are ready for that worst case scenario when it hits your business (because it will – trust me).
The Big Question:: Have you identified your worst case scenario in your business? In all parts or just one? Are you expecting the best – in clients, in partners, in results?
You can let the rain (or an RV with no air conditioning) ruin your vacation. You can let one pissy client destroy your confidence. You can declare everything is sunshine and unicorns even as the storm is brewing. Or…you can get prepared for the worst even while you are expecting the best.
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